Eight Global Teachers Honored at Jerusalem Summit With Grants
The Global Jewish Educators Summit awarded $2,500 to eight recipients selected from 250 nominees to recognize their impact on Jewish identity and community.
By Aiko Petrov ·
The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and partner organization UnitEd convened the Global Jewish Educators Summit in Jerusalem on October 12. The four-day event brought together more than 250 teachers, principals, and educational leaders from dozens of institutions worldwide. The agenda included professional development sessions, panels, workshops, and tours of Gaza border communities and heritage sites.
At the summit, the organizers presented the Global Jewish Teachers Award to eight educators. These individuals were selected from a pool of more than 250 nominees. Each awardee received a $2,500 grant from the Mayberg Foundation. The award is a joint initiative involving the Ministry, UnitEd, The Jerusalem Post, the World Zionist Organization, and Herzog College.
The recipients include Rabbi Zvi Lew from the United States, Tal Kattan from South Africa, Meir Bunytow from Mexico, Anat Kampf from the United States, Raquel Hakim from Argentina, Dina Jacobson from the United Kingdom, Marina Grushevskaya from Russia, and Rahel Israelievitch from France. Limor Riskin, director of strategy and innovation at Herzog College, led the judging process. She noted that the selection committee faced a difficult choice among many strong candidates.
“The nominations revealed inspiring stories of educators who dedicate their lives to Jewish education and make a meaningful difference in their communities,” Riskin said. She added that the award aims to shine a light on the work of Jewish educators globally, much of which happens quietly away from the spotlight.
Rachel Fink, UnitEd’s educational director, stated that the organization works with more than 850 Jewish schools in over 50 countries. She expressed gratitude to the Mayberg Foundation for providing tangible appreciation for the winners’ contributions. Gael Grunewald, vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization and head of its Education Department, said the selection process revealed over 100 extraordinary stories of educators bringing Judaism to the next generation.
Marina Grushevskaya has headed the Judaica department at the Lauder Etz Chaim school in Moscow since 1992. Her nomination cited a sustained mission spanning more than three decades and an approach treating education as identity and belonging. She described the award as a high recognition of her 34 years of work and credited her united team of teachers at the school.
Meir Bunytow, director of Jewish education at Bet Hayladim in Mexico City, said his role is to give students knowledge and a sense of belonging so they choose to remain part of the Jewish people. Dina Jacobson, who teaches at Yavneh College in London, emphasized the vital role of Jewish education amid rising antisemitism in the Diaspora. She said it is vital that young Jews have the tools to navigate difficult conversations and strengthen their identity.
Anat Kampf, an Israel studies educator at the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, was chosen for her combination of Jewish knowledge and student leadership. She said teaching is most fulfilling when one knows they are making a difference in students' lives. Rabbi Dr. Howard Deitcher, chair of UnitEd’s advisory committee and a judge, called the winners pillars who strengthen communities. Manette Mayberg, president of the Mayberg Foundation, said the gift honors these special role models who have strengthened the Jewish future.
